The SPECO CVC-550EX Color Weatherproof Camera with 5-50mm Auto Iris Varifocal Lens is great for any outdoor application. Constructed with a durable steel-grey weatherproof housing, this camera includes built-in heaters and non-condensing coated glass making it highly reliable in more trying environments. Designed to provide a very high-resolution picture even in very low-light conditions, the SPECO CVC-550EX is a great addition to any video surveillance system, especially in applications subjected to extremely inclement weather conditions.

This weatherproof camera utilizes a 0.33-inch color super-HAD CCD (charge-coupled device) image sensor with a five- to 50-millimeter DC auto-iris varifocal lens. The CVC-550EX has a very high resolution of 480 horizontal TVL (TV lines), and achieves a S/N (signal-to-noise) ratio of 50 dB or better. Extremely sensitive to light with a minimum illumination of 0.03 Lux, this camera can receive a picture in very low-light conditions. The CVC-550EX comes complete with a built-in automatic electronic shutter with speeds ranging from 1/60 to 1/100,000 of a second, and includes a standard BNC (Bayonet Neill-Concelman) video output. Dual-voltage compatible, this unit runs on either 24- or 12-volts of DC power and can operate in temperatures ranging from -14 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Technical Features:

S/N ratio: better than 50 dB

Minimum illumination: 0.03 Lux

Horizontal resolution: 480 TVL

Operating temperatures: -14 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit

Dimensions: 2.9 x 11 x 2.7 inches (W x D x H)

The SPECO CVC-550EX camera provides you with a high-quality B/W picture from a camera that can go virtually anywhere, and deserves serious consideration as an addition to any severe-weather security system. The CVC-550EX comes completely assembled and ready to use, and includes a 60-foot cable that allows you to place it virtually anywhere. Users should note that the CCD image sensor may become permanently damaged if exposed to long hours of direct sunlight or halogen light, so the camera should not be mounted or pointed directly at the sun or other bright-light sources.

About Surveillance Camera Technical FeaturesLux rating is the measurement used to indicate how sensitive a camera is to light, and stands for the level of light reflected off a piece of paper by a candle from one meter away. Thus a sensitivity of three Lux would mean a camera could generate an acceptable picture of a piece-of-paper-sized object that was illuminated by the equivalent of three candles from one meter away. The lower the Lux level, the better the camera's ability to work in low-light conditions. The camera's resolution should be greater than or equal to the resolution supported by the system's recorder or monitor. The S/N, or signal to noise ratio, is an important measure of a camera's quality. A poor camera, low-light conditions or poor wiring causes "noise" which consumes processing power and disk space. A camera with a wide dynamic range is ideal, especially for recording areas in which both indoor and outdoor light are present. CCD (charge-coupled device) sensors provide high-quality images that are less susceptible to noise. CMOS (complimentary metal-oxide semiconductor) sensors offer less image quality, but are usually more cost-effective and energy efficient.

About Surveillance Camera Housings Most video surveillance systems can be deployed for outside use when a proper camera housing is used. Key features for housings are a blower/fan to keep the camera cool in the summer, and a heater for the cold-weather months and to keep the glass from fogging up. Most housings can accept many types of security cameras. An outdoor dome housing is used for external mounting when tamper resistance or pan/tilt functionality is desired.

Features:

0.33-inch color super-HAD CCD image sensor

5-50 millimeter DC auto-iris varifocal lens

Weatherproof housing allows for outdoor applications

Extremely high horizontal resolution of 480 TV lines

Extremely good in low-light conditions with a minimum illumination of 0.03 lux